


Nothing Serious

by LadyAJ_13



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Post-Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-26
Updated: 2014-05-26
Packaged: 2018-01-26 15:05:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1692704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAJ_13/pseuds/LadyAJ_13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's nothing serious for either of them, Clint is sure of that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Serious

It's nothing serious for either of them, Clint is sure of that. He's been a bit... not lost, that would suggest too much... out of sorts perhaps. Only natural after everything that happened, his shrink said. And Tony had seemed at a loose end after all that shit went down with Pepper. Too many beers one night and - well. You get the picture. No need to talk about it.

“Hawk,” the voice is accompanied with a slap to his knees. Clint dutifully lifts his legs, allowing Tony to slip onto the sofa next to him, before lowering them again. He was here first, ok? He can feel Tony's glare, but obviously the genius isn't that bothered, because he simply rests his tablet against Clint's right shin and starts tapping away.

“I was thinking,” starts Tony, and its coming out slowly enough that Clint can tell he really has been thinking, and that this is important. He lowers the film magazine he's been flicking through. Tony's dark hair is swept forward, obscuring his eyes, but his fingers keep tapping away.

“Yeah?” He's careful to keep his tone light.

“I need a date to the Stark charity gala next weekend. Are you busy?” It's short and to the point. “I'd rather not face the paparazzi alone with all their questions about Pepper. Especially as she'll be there.”

It's something Clint has noticed recently – every so often, Tony will say something that takes Clint aback. Something that he's obviously not totally comfortable admitting, because Tony is not someone who talks about how he feels. It's never in front of the team either, only ever when they're like this; together but not _together_ , and maybe Clint has also become Tony's friend, as well as his – well, whatever. Maybe they should talk about it.

Wait. That means Tony wants to face the paparazzi with Clint. 

“Uh, no I'm not busy.”

How does he mean? Face them as two Avengers, colleagues, out to raise money? As friends? As – whatever?

"Cool.”

“Sounds good in fact,” Clint adds, trying to erase that emotionless voice he just heard. “You might have to get your credit card out though, sugar daddy – I'm not sure I have a suit fit for a Stark gala.” Clint is careful to pitch his tone at teasing, and to his relief, gets the expected response back.

“Please Barton, you're like three years younger than I am-”

“-make that a decade, perhaps-”

“-but yes, your fashion sense is terrible. I'll get you something pretty.” Tony is still looking down, but Clint can detect a hint of a smile underneath the fallen hair. He picks his magazine back up, fallen open to an interview with Hugh Jackman.

 

–

“Mr Stark, Mr Stark!”

“Tony, over here!”

“Hey, Hawkeye!”

Well, that one is new. Clint zeroes in on the reporter that called his codename (less code, more common knowledge, now). What could he want from him, when right next to him is Tony Stark?

“Please, please,” Tony is waving his arms, not unlike a giant chicken, but the assorted paparazzi calm down and focus on him. Clint can feel the pairs of eyes leaving him as they fix on the headline-maker. “Thank you all for coming. I don't know what we'd do without a media hailstorm to wade through before each important event like this,” he begins.

“Mr Stark, about Miss Potts-”

“Miss Potts is in attendance tonight,” replies Tony. “But given that we split up three months ago – a fact I know you know, Mr Peterson, as you personally covered the story in great detail – she has not arrived with me. I hope we can keep the majority of the media coverage to the good cause we are meant to be promoting rather than my personal life,I will reveal that my date tonight, as you can see, is Clint.”

There's no need to introduce Clint, although Tony does gesture towards him slightly before reeling him in, pressing him against his side and throwing an arm round his waist. Clint can feel panic rising within him, but its because the flashbulbs are blinding him, not because of the warmth bleeding through two layers of suit into his right side. He leans into it, hooks an arm around Tony's shoulder and grins for the cameras. So that's how it is, then.

**Author's Note:**

> So, in my head-canon for this fic, the 'Pepper shit' is that after Tony blew up all the suits things still didn't work out and they broke up. I can imagine this having quite the impact on Tony. I'm also a CB/PC shipper at heart, so Clint is 'out of sorts' because he thinks Phil is dead, and they never had a chance to see if they could be something. I don't see this as a consolation prize relationship for either of them though, just a 'never realising what was there because we were distracted by other things' type deal. Ok, now I'm done.


End file.
